The “Friday Afternoon Mathematics Undergraduate Seminar” (FAMUS) is a weekly event consisting of announcements, talks, and faculty interviews. FAMUS takes place most Fridays at 3:00-4:00pm in Room 164 of the Adel Mathematics Building. Typically the first half of FAMUS consists of a talk on a mathematical topic while an interview of a faculty member takes place in the second half. FAMUS is hosted by Jeff Rushall.
Come join us for some entertaining talks! Refreshments always served.
Note that talks are listed in reverse chronological order.
Date: September 18, 2026
Speakers: Jeff Rushall (NAU)
Abstract: The Happy Ending Problem is a geometry puzzle; the unusual name was coined by the legendary Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdos. The problem itself is not that hard to solve, but generalizations are trickier to solve. The weird name of the puzzle is due to the fact that it spawned a love story (which will be discussed as well). Bring your brains and bring some tissues, as the story has a tear-jerk ending.
The faculty guest this week is Tyler Brock. [PDF of Flyer]
Date: September 11, 2026
Speakers: Jeff Rushall (NAU)
Abstract: I’ll discuss what faculty members like me do during the summer. Without giving too much away, I did a little research, reviewed a paper, designed a new course, created a new course pack, taught a summer course, did a little traveling (some of it math-related), etc. I’ll show some fun pictures from my travels.
The faculty guest this week is Gabe Markou. [PDF of Flyer]